Releasable ski binding

ABSTRACT

A releasable ski binding of the type incorporating a release plate anchored at the ski to be releasable to all sides, the release plate being retained at least at its one end by a springloaded locking element. The locking element is pivotably mounted about an axis extending transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the ski, and under the action of its spring, in the normal position of the release plate, bears upon a central section or region of a guide track. The guide track possesses to both sides of such central region step-like and/or continuously raised sections.

[4 1 May 20, 1975 1 RELEASABLE SKI BINDING [75] Inventors: Ulrich Gertsch, Matten; Ernst Gertsch, Wengen, both of Switzerland [73] Assignee: Gertsch AG, lnterlaken, Switzerland [22] Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 353,389

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 10, 1972 Switzerland 6998/72 [52] US. Cl. .,280/l1.35 K [51] Int. Cl. A63c 9/08 [58] Field0fSearch...280/l1.35 K, 11.35 C, 11.35 D, 280/11.35 A, 11.35 E, 11.35 Y, 11.35 H, 1135 T, 11.35 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,745,672 5/1956 Meier, Jr, 280/1l.35 Y 2,858,138 10/1958 Dubois de la Sabloniere280/11.35 D 2,954,236 9/1960 Osborn 280/11.35 K

3,410,568 ll/l968 Wiley 280/1 1.35 K 3,489,424 1/1970 Gertsch et al 280/1 1.35 K 3,618,965 l1/l97l Hecker 280/1 1.35 C 3,727,933 4/1973 Allsop 280/1 1.35 T

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 412,672 11/1966 Switzerland 280/1 1.35 K

Primary Examiner-David Schonberg Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Attorney, Agent, or FirmWerner W. Kleeman [57] ABSTRACT A releasable ski binding of the type incorporating a release plate anchored at the ski to be releasable to all sides, the release plate being retained at least at its one end by a spring-loaded locking element. The locking element is pivotably mounted about an axis extending transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the ski, and under the action of its spring, in the normal position of the release plate, bears upon a central section or region of a guide track. The guide track possesses to both sides of such central region step-like and/or continuously raised sections.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures RELEASABLE SKI BINDING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of releasable ski binding or safety ski binding of the type incorporating a release plate anchored at the ski so as to be releasable to all sides, the release plate being supported at least at one of its ends by means of a springloaded locking element. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of the present invention to improve upon a releasable ski-binding of the aforementioned type and to afford positive and highly responsive release action for the binding.

According to the invention, this release binding is manifested by the features that the locking element is pivotably mounted about an axis directed transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the associated ski. The spring-loaded locking element under the action of its associated spring, in the normal position of the release plate, bears upon a central region or section of a guide track, and this guide track is provided to both sides of such central region or section thereof opposite the same with step'like and/or continuously raised sections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent 'when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one end, such as the rear end of a release plate and its anchoring arrangement;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustrating the front end of-the release plate and its anchoring arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the arrangement depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the showing of FIG. 2, taken substantially along the line Ill-III thereof;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a variant embodiment of the invention, corresponding to the showing of FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a further variant construction of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Describing now the drawings, with the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the rear anchoring means, generally designated by reference character 1, of the release plate 2, comprises a support or plate 3 which is suitably attached to the non illustrated ski, this support 3 being equipped with a front and rear bearing plate or bracket 4 and 5 respectively. The front bearing plate 4 is pivotably mounted at a pivot shaft or axis 6, as best seen by referring to FIG, 2, directed transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the associated ski. This bearing plate or bracket 4 carries a forwardly extending springloaded locking element 7, here in the form of a pin 8. The manner in which the release plate is held releasably mounted at the ski by locking elements is well known in the art for such general type safety bindings, and has been further disclosed for instance in our US Pat. No. 3,489,424 as mentioned 'copending US well as our commonly assigned US application Ser. No. 353,329 filed Apr. 23, 1973, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Upon the pin 8 there is rotatably mounted a follower roller 9. The rear portion of pin 8 is constructed as a threaded pin member 10 which piercingly extends through the bearing plate or bracket 4 and can be adjustably retained thereat in the lengthwise direction of the pin 8 by means of the threading 10a. The threaded pin 10 carries an adjustment nut member 11 upon which bears one end 12a of a spring 12 which is supported at its other end 12b at the bearing plate or bracket 5.

The release plate 2 carries at its rear end an upwardly protruding web or bracket 13,. the upper edge of which forms a guide track 14 which descends from its central section or region 14a to both sides thereof, as clearly shown in FIG. 1. In the illustrated normal position of the release plate 2 the follower roller 9 of the locking element 7, under the action of the spring 12, bears upon the central region 14a of the guide track 14. As best seen by referring to FIG. 3, this central region 14a of the guide track 14 possesses in the exemplary embodiment under consideration, an engaging notch or groove 15. Hence, due to the provision of'the notch 15 the track 14 has a step-like configuration, wherein the track sections bounding the central notched section are initially raised in step-like fashion and then extend upwards in a smooth continuous course. The notch could be, of course, omitted to provide a completely continuous raised track. From the same showing of FIG. 3 it will be recognized that the rear end of the release plate 2 is supported to be laterally movable or shiftable on the ski (in this figure indicated by reference character 16) through the agency of the rollers 17. Basically, these rollers 17 could serve to retain the release plate 2 in the lengthwise direction of the skinln such case, they would have to be form-lockingly connected with the ski, that is to say, cooperate with a front and/or rear guide. The same purpose could be of course fulfilled, among other things, by means of a plug pin of thetype indicated in FIG. 1 by reference character 18, for instance a pin secured at the ski and engaging from below into a suitable recess 2a-of the release plate 2. Such type supportor mounting or a similar mounting of the release plate 2 in the lengthwise direction of the ski is necessary since a corresponding function is not carried out by the rear anchoring means or arrangement 1 in any case. This affords the advantage that a ski which has been bent-through does not affect the anchoring means 1 and in particular namely the tensioning of the spring 12, as explained in greater detail in our aforeapplication Ser. No. 353,329.

As should be readily apparent by referring to FIG. 1, the locking element 7, under the action of the spring I 12, retains the release plate 2 and in any event its rear end in the illustrated normal position. After overcoming the spring force the rear end of the release plate 2 can, however, be moved to both sides and/or upwardly away from the surface of the ski, wherein at the same time the locking element 7 is upwardly rocked. During lateral escape or deviation of the rear end of the release plate 2 out of the illustrated normal position the roller 9 initially departs from the notch or groove 15 and then subsequently rolls upon one of the respective neighboring ascending lateral sections or portions 14b of the guide track 14. This arrangement allows for considerable freedom in influencing the lateral release action of the binding. More particularly, with the aid of the more or less pronounced notch, that is to say, with the aid of the apex region of the guide track 14 it is possible to establish a predetermined holding force which initially does not permit any lateral shifting of the rear end of the release plate. After overcoming the corresponding threshold value and with appropriate profiling of the guide track 14, it is possible to determine the random course of the now resilient holding force. It should be apparent that owing to this arrangement the anchoring means 1 in conjunction with the lateral release action, possesses a long spring path and a flat characteristic which extends towards the threshold value. As a result the rear end of the release plate 2, after response of the lateral release action until there occurs the actual release of the release plate, possesses a relatively large degree of freedom of movement with regard to the ski. Within this possible movement there always exists a restoring force, the magnitude of which is, however, independent of the aforementioned threshold value, that is to say, if desired it can also be selected to be below such threshold value. Consequently, there is possible a corresponding reduction in the torsional load exerted at the leg of the skier. This phenomenon is especially significant in the case where together with the torsional load there is simultaneously effective also a bending load.

For instance, in the case of a bending load, the locking element 7 retains the rear end of the release plate 2 in contact with the ski as a function of the spring force. If this holding force is exceeded, then the rear end of the release plate 2 lifts-off the ski and at the same time the locking element 7 is rocked upwards.

However, the release plate 2 is only then released when the locking element 7 comes out of engagement with the guide track 14. In this case, the effective length of the locking element 7 is decisive. In order to be able to provide in conjunction with the relative movement between the roller 9 and the guide track 14 a decisive and therefore favorable frictional condition, the guide track, particularly as the same has been shown in FIG. 5, can be completely or partially formed by a roller 19 which is tapered at its central section, and which is rotatably mounted at the web 13' of the release plate, the guide track in this case being continuously and smoothly raised and designated by reference character 14'. This roller 19 can be of course much longer than has been illustrated. On the other hand, as shown in H6. 6 in certain instances the roller 19 will be designed to be relatively short, and particularly then when it is desired to impart to the flank or portion 30 of the guide track 14' merging therewith a particular course, for instance inclined towards the front i.e. deviates back starting from the region of its central section, in the lengthwise direction of the release plate. With such course or extent of the guide track, during lateral shifting of the rear end of the release plate 2, there is a reduction in the degree with which the locking element 7 engages over the guide track 14 or 14', so that the upward release of the web 13 or 13' occurs sooner, in comparison with the normal position of the release plate. This has certain advantages in consideration of the dangerous combined loads.

However, even without such construction of the guide track the anchoring of the release plate in the described manner is associated with advantages as concerns combined loads. If, for instance, there arises in conjunction with a bending force which already causes a slight raising of the release plate from the ski, also a torsional load, then a smaller laterally acting rotational moment is sufficient to shift the roller 9 out of the notch 15, than if the end of the release plate 2 still bears upon the ski. What is decisive in this case is not the friction between the release plate and the ski, which in any case has been reduced by virtue of the rollers 17, but much more the fact that the release plate can deviate or escape downward without at the same time having to upwardly displace the locking element 7.

Finally, it is mentioned that as shown in FIG. 1A the other end of the release plate can be provided with a similar arrangement of spring-loaded locking element which in this case cooperates, for instance, with a flat guide track 14" and as also taught in our aforementioned copending application. To simplify the matter the remaining components of the spring-loaded locking element have been designated with the same reference characters generally employed for the spring-loaded element discussed above which was assumed to be arranged at the rear end of the release plate.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims. ACCORD- INGLY,

What is claimed is:

1. A releasable ski binding comprising a release plate capable of being anchored to the ski so as to be releasable to all sides, a spring-loaded locking element for releasably holding at least one end of the release plate against the ski, means for mounting the spring-loaded locking element to pivot about an axis directed transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the associated ski, said spring-loaded locking element being provided with a roller, a guide track mounted on the release plate, said guide track being provided with a roller defining at least a central section of the guide track, the spring of said spring-loaded locking element urging said locking element in the normal position of the release plate to bear via its roller against the roller defining the central section of the guide track, said central section of the guide track being bounded to each side by a raised section.

2. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, wherein the raised section at each side of the central section of the giude track is raised in a substantially step-like manner.

3. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, wherein the raised section at each side of the central section of the guide track is raised in a substantially continuous manner.

4. The releasable ski-binding as defined in claim 1, wherein the roller defining at least the central section of the guide track is tapered at its central region, and means mounting said tapered roller at the release plate for rotation about an axis directed transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the release plate.

5. A releasable ski binding as defined in claim I, wherein said guide track includes a portion which deviates back, starting from the region of its central section, in the lengthwise direction of the release plate.

. 6. A releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, further including roller means for displaceably supporting 6 the release plate towards the side at the ski at the re the release plate in the lengthwise direction of the ski. g of the gu'de track- 8. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1,

7. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, further including a spring-loaded locking element for retaining the other end of the release plate at the Ski 5 rotation of said rollers extending transversely with resaid second locking element bearing upon a flat guide Spect to one anothertrack of the release plate and plug pin means for fixing wherein each roller has an axis of rotation, said axes of 

1. A releasable ski binding comprising a release plate capable of being anchored to the ski so as to be releasable to all sides, a spring-loaded locking element for releasably holding at least one end of the release plate against the ski, means for mounting the spring-loaded locking element to pivot about an axis directed transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the associated ski, said spring-loaded locking element being provided with a roller, a guide track mounted on the release plate, said guide track being provided with a roller defining at least a central section of the guide track, the spring of said springloaded locking element urging said locking element in the normal position of the release plate to bear via its roller against the roller defining the central section of the guide track, said central section of the guide track being bounded to each side by a raised section.
 2. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, wherein the raised section at each side of the central section of the giude track is raised in a substantially step-like manner.
 3. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, wherein the raised section at each side of the central section of the guide track is raised in a substantially continuous manner.
 4. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, wherein the roller defining at least the central section of the guide track is tapered at its central region, and means mounting said tapered roller at the release plate for rotation about an axis directed transversely with respect to the lengthwise direction of the release plate.
 5. A releasable ski binding as defined in claim l, wherein said guide track includes a portion which deviates back, starting from the region of its central section, in the lengthwise direction of the release plate.
 6. A releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, further including roller means for displaceably supporting the release plate towards the side at the ski at the region of the guide track.
 7. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, further including a spring-loaded locking element for retaining the other end of the release plate at the ski, said second locking element bearing upon a flat guide track of the release plate, and plug pin means for fixing the release plate in the lengthwise direction of the ski.
 8. The releasable ski binding as defined in claim 1, wherein each roller has an axis of rotation, said axes of rotation of said rollers extending transversely with respect to one another. 